Long lines and crowds at polling stations in Chile to elect Gabriel Boric as their successor.

BarcelonaMillions of voters participated this Sunday in the presidential and legislative elections in Chile, on a day when voting was mandatory for the first time and which was marked by crowds and long lines at polling stations. More than 15.7 million people were eligible to vote, including more than 800,000 foreigners. However, there were no significant incidents. The first to vote was Johannes Kaiser, leader of the newly created National Libertarian Party and considered the phenomenon of these elections, since until a few weeks ago he was not considered a presidential candidate. "I have pledged my support to any candidate who opposes the continuation of this bad government," he declared in a central neighborhood of the capital. Kaiser burst onto the electoral scene with radical proposals on security and immigration. He also defends "without hesitation" the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet and ultraconservative policies regarding individual liberties.

Later, on the outskirts of the capital, José Antonio Kast, also an ultraconservative, who has tried to appear more moderate during the election campaign despite being a devout Catholic and father of nine, also agreed that if he doesn't come in second and consequently doesn't advance to the second round, he will support "the list other than the government's." That is, any right-wing candidate who faces the progressive Jeannette Jara, the successor to the current outgoing president, who is expected to receive the most votes this Sunday, but without surpassing the 50% required to be elected president, according to the polls.

Kast also defends Pinochet's legacy. It is the first time since the return of democracy that there are two candidates who applaud the dictatorship with a chance of becoming president.

Little chance

Polls show that Jara has little chance of reaching the La Moneda Palace if the far-right candidates unite and garner the support of the traditional right, whose candidate, Evelyn Matthei, has not yet clarified who she will support in the second round. "Chileans will vote for someone who is not so politicized, but who can move our country forward," she stated. Matthei was the frontrunner for months, but now polls place her in fourth position. Since 2006, power has alternated between left and right, and no president has handed over the presidential sash to a successor of the same political persuasion. The last to vote was Jara, who represents the broadest progressive coalition in history—ranging from the Christian Democrats to the Communist Party. "Hatred, criticism of others, and exacerbating fear are not ways to govern a country. To govern a country, it is necessary to have the capacity for consensus and empathize with those who live each day wondering if they will make it to the end of the month," he declared. The election campaign has focused on the rise in crime and the perception of insecurity, despite the fact that Chile is one of the safest countries in the Americas, with a homicide rate of 6 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024, according to official data.